A few weeks ago, I was on a quick trip to Meijer to pick up
something easy to grill in under ten minutes as my focus was less on dinner
prep and more on playing ball in the back with my kids. The original plan was
to go with the usual five dollar flat of cheddar brats. I was quickly tripped up
when perusing the line of pre-smoked or pre –cooked sausages. I usually go with
grilling raw meats, but thought this might be a good time to try something that cooks a little
quicker and was a tad cheaper as this was on sale (most likely due to the forthcoming independence day
weekend).
Preparation
No rocket science here. Once the propane grill was
preheated, I just placed these links on the top rack and cooked about four to
five minutes on each side. They received their customary grill marks. Be
cautious when grilling as to timing and heat. One of the sausage links was in
the early stages of splitting open and they were a healthy eight inches over heat
source.
Taste
Going into this I had to remind myself that these were
smoked sausages and not brats or Italian sausages. First bite of this revealed
definite hints of smokiness and some spiciness that seemed more akin to a fall
or winter’s meal of kielbasa than an outdoor grill experience. The tasteful
cheese successfully held its course and did not escape the casing unlike other “cheddarwurst”
products I have experienced. I was also a little taken back by the density and
fineness of the pork sausage. When cooking raw brats or Italian sausages, I am
accustomed to seeing real bits of pork within each bite. The Beddar with Cheddar
sausage was of the same grit and texture as a Vienna beef hot dog. A tad
disappointing when eating a grilled sausage.
Appearance
I was also probably influenced into purchasing this product by
the allure of the patriotic stars and stripes packaging and decent coloring of the sausages. The
dark reddish brown color maintained itself from uncooked to cooked stages. It
even looked pretty professional on the bun. The downside was the skinniness of
the links as these seemed more in line with the diameter of a red hot.
Price
I was baited by the sale price as Meijer held this one out
there for a paltry $3.29 for a package of six (14 ounces). My usual “standby” package of Meijer brand
cheddar brats (raw) usually range from $3.99 to $4.99 depending upon sales. The Johnsonville cheddar brats (raw) are also
usually about five bucks. The beddar with cheddar price was far lower in comparison
Overall
I rate this product
as average. If you like smokiness, cheese and a fine ground sausage,
then you might like the Johnsonville Beddar with Cheddar series. I will go back
to my raw cheddar brats and take a little extra time grilling knowing I am
getting real bites of pork.
